Gartnavel Asylum

Glasgow Caledonian University, Research Collections, Heatherbank Museum of Social Work

A view of Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum at Gartnavel, photographed from Great Western Road c 1890.

The Glasgow Lunatic Asylum opened in Parliamentary Road in 1814 and gained a Royal Charter ten years later. In 1843 the Asylum moved to new premises at Gartnavel. The Tudor Gothic style buildings were designed by Charles Wilson to allow segregation both by gender and social class: the West House was for private patients and the separate East House was for paupers. Towards the end of the 19th century the proportion of pauper lunatics at Gartnavel began to decline as parochial asylums were opened. The two buildings were finally connected in 1877 and further substantial extensions were added in 1937 and 1959.

In 1931 the Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum was renamed the Glasgow Royal Mental Hospital. It was renamed Gartnavel Royal Hospital in 1963. Gartnavel General Hospital was built in the grounds, 1968-1973.

Reference: Heatherbank Museum of Social Work, print 6059a

Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow Caledonian University, Research Collections, Heatherbank Museum of Social Work